It is disappointing to see the editorial by the Mercury News supporting a proposal that will be considered by the San Jose City Council Tuesday that will have damaging effects on hundreds of mom-and-pop restaurants.

Specifically, the council will vote on whether to ban foam food service containers, including take-out containers and foam cups. Such a ban unfairly targets small restaurants, forcing them to pay higher costs to run their businesses.

As the association that represents more than 22,000 of restaurants throughout California, we know our members use foam foodservice containers for two key reasons: affordability and effectiveness. Foam keeps hot food and drinks hot without burning your hands and it keeps cold food and drinks cold without creating condensation. Plus, it keeps costs down so small restaurant owners can continue paying employee wages and keeping prices low.

Switching to alternative packaging will cost restaurants double or triple what they pay now. A foam hot cup that costs three cents will triple in price for an alternative product. A four-cent foam plate will increase to nine cents for a plastic plate. These increases are substantial to restaurants that buy in large quantities in some cases adding on tens of thousands of dollars a year in extra costs.

Unfortunately, the editorial dismissed the realities of running a small business and that these costs, combined with others we have highlighted, may be insurmountable to some of our smallest restaurants. The city staff's economic impact analysis presented to the council in December said, "Any restaurant currently using EPS is expected to experience a cost increase whatever the circumstances of the restaurant."

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San Jose restaurants are already facing an uphill battle in 2013. The minimum wage increase to $10 an hour, state and Santa Clara County sales tax increases, higher gas prices and the pending new health care costs required by the Affordable Care Act will affect how customers spend their money. This is on top of the city fees and licenses and higher food costs.

Foodservice foam is being recycled in 65 communities, including Los Angeles. Alternative products restaurants will be forced to use will likely not be recycled or composted, as many paper-based alternatives are coated in plastic or wax, making them non-biodegradable and rarely recycled. Instead of the ban, San Jose should make recycling foam easier for residents.

Most restaurants operate on razor-thin profit margins, and restaurant operators spend every possible moment at their restaurants, hiring as many people as they can and catering to the needs of the community. The last thing they need is for the city to dictate what products they can buy and use. A ban on foam foodservice containers will only harm business owners, their customers and possibly the environment the city seeks to protect.

Javier Gonzalez is director of local government affairs for the California Restaurant Association. He wrote this for this newspaper.